IHC gives authorities last chance to respond in bulletproof car case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday deferred the pronouncement of its verdict in a case pertaining to the issuance of a bulletproof car to the judge-turned politician, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Justice Akhtar Kayani gave last chance to the ministry of interior, law and cabinet division to submit their written response in the case until Oct 30.

He expressed annoyance over a law officer for failing to submit the replies of the federal authorities, saying the court had already given them sufficient time to respond, but they have failed to respond.

The court ruled that it would decide the case only after the respondent authorities file their written response in the petition.

Advocate Ahsanuddin Sheikh, who is the spokesperson for the former chief justice’s political party, filed the petition, contending that Chaudhry needed foolproof security and bulletproof vehicle in the wake of terrorist attacks on lawyers in Quetta and Mardan.

A division bench of the IHC had earlier set aside the single bench’s January 2014 verdict ordering the government to provide a bulletproof car and foolproof security to the former CJP. It had remanded the case back to the single bench to decide it after hearing all parties.

The federal government had filed an intra-court appeal for reclaiming the bulletproof car from the former CJP.